Step 4: Model finishing

Step 5: Conclusions

Overall I'm very happy with my case. Once I have my Raspberry Pi, I will test that it fits inside the case - If modifications are required I will upd...

As I'm sure many of you know the Raspberry Pi launched a few weeks ago (www.raspberrypi.org). As the initial units will ship without a case I decided to make one.

The case was modelled using Pro Engineer CAD software and then rapid prototyped by a company in the UK (more about that later).

One disclaimer before we start - I'm currently on the huge waiting list to get a raspberry pi so this case has been designed around the official dimensions for the device. Until I get my hands on one of the units I'm unable to guarantee it will actually fit.

Step 1: What is the Raspberry Pi?

"The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming."

- source - The Raspberry Pi Foundation - www.raspberrypi.org/faqs

Step 2: Get the CAD files

It took quite a lot of modelling in CAD to get the case looking the way I wanted.

The files were exported in the STL format. I'll go out on a limb and say 99% of 3D / rapid prototyping machines will work with this file format.

The case does not fit because of the sound port, everything else is spot on had to cut round it to make it fit. really cool case thou, but going to work on the sound port issue and repost with STL File

Respectfully the case appears to be lacking anything in the way of RFI suppression On the supplied files it would be nice to be able to look at them without needing to create one more account on the web

Screws would either involve using wood type screws which cut their own thread as they enter the material or using a tap to cut a thread or using a nut a bolt arrangement. I wasn't confident that any thread in the 3d printed material would last very long and using a nut and bolt would be quite awkward.

Besides the raspberry pi was made for hacking :) so I think the lid will be getting removed and replaced quite often, constantly removing screws would get very annoying very quickly.

If anyone has a different idea for the fixing mechanism I might implement this in case 2.0

I want to make one but I'm wondering, where did you find the dimensions and locations of connectors on the board? I scoured the internet and couldn't find any when I was planning on doing my own case in rapid proto, I was just going to wait for more documentation or my board itself. I may lose access to the RP machine before I get my raspberry pi so I need to print the case before I'll have it in-hand from Newark.

I found a STEP model of the Raspberry Pi posted by someone on the raspberry pi official discussion forum. I then checked the dimensions of the CAD model against all the official documentation I could find.

I'm reluctant to post the files here as the CAD of the raspberry pi is not my work. Once I find the the discussion post I'll share the link here.

The 'Pi's' have been delayed for a while now - some sort of manufacturing problem. My original design had a removable 'Pi logo' section (so different top logos could be made) I'll probably look at going back to this for version 2.0.

I might consider putting this in the 'for sale' area once I have a board and I know it fits in the case properly - thanks for the suggestion.